Dominique Payton

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Survey Responses

RESPONSES TO THE 2026 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY:

1. If elected, what are your top priorities for Texas public education?

Please describe any specific goals or legislative initiatives you would pursue to strengthen the state’s public education system.

When elected, my top priority will be to fully fund Texas public education and reverse decades of underinvestment that have left students and educators behind. I will advocate for increased and sustainable state funding that prioritizes public schools, not private vouchers so every district has the resources needed to serve students effectively.

I will champion the expansion of STEM programs in every school district, ensuring equitable access to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics regardless of zip code. Preparing students for the modern workforce requires early and consistent exposure to high-demand fields, and Texas must lead in this area.

I will also work to ensure that dual credit opportunities are available in every Texas high school, including both academic pathways and career and technical education (CTE)/trade certifications. Students should be able to graduate with college credit, industry credentials, or both without financial or geographic barriers.

Supporting educators is essential to student success. I will push for meaningful teacher pay increases, mental health resources for educators, and smaller classroom sizes to improve learning outcomes and reduce burnout. Additionally, I support policies that ensure teachers are properly certified, well-trained, and equipped with modern instructional tools so they can meet the diverse needs of today’s students.

Texas students deserve a public education system that prepares them for college, careers, and life and Texas educators deserve respect, support, and investment. I am committed to delivering both. Because I am a product of Texas Public schools. And I know the importance of a strong system for our future.

2. Public Education Funding:

The 89th Legislature passed an $8 billion school funding bill, HB 2. However, despite years of unanswered “inflationary challenges, a large majority of that funding was earmarked to specific programs and did not supply districts with significant flexible funding, leaving the majority of Texas students in districts with deficit budgets and other significant funding challenges. Do you believe Texas public schools should receive additional funding? If so, how should the state pay for it, and should that funding be earmarked at the state level or provide districts with flexible dollars?

Yes. Texas public schools absolutely require additional funding. While HB 2 provided $8 billion in new education funding, much of it was earmarked for specific initiatives and failed to meaningfully address rising operational costs driven by inflation. As a result, many school districts continue to operate with deficit budgets, larger class sizes, staffing shortages, and deferred maintenance conditions that directly harm students and educators. 

Texas must increase flexible, per-student funding so districts can respond to their local needs, whether that is hiring teachers, raising salaries, expanding mental health services, reducing class sizes, or keeping campuses open. The state should set accountability standards, but local school leaders, not Austin are best positioned to decide how funds are used. I’ve talked to principles and teachers. Each district and each campus have their own different needs.

To pay for increased school funding, I support:

Updating and strengthening the school finance formula to reflect current inflation and actual cost-of-education increases.

Closing tax loopholes and exemptions that allow large corporations to avoid paying their fair share.

Prioritizing public education in the state budget over voucher programs and other policies that divert funds away from neighborhood public schools.

Conducting greater oversight of corporate tax abatements and incentive programs to ensure public dollars are producing measurable public benefits.

While targeted funding has a role, Texas must shift toward a balanced approach that provides flexible base funding alongside limited, outcome driven program funding. Public education cannot be effectively funded through piecemeal programs alone. Our students, educators, and communities need sustainable, predictable, and locally responsive funding.

3. ESA Vouchers:

Education savings accounts (ESAs) redirect public funds to private or home schools. How do you believe Texas should fund public schools, traditional and charter, alongside ESA vouchers? How should ESA spending be held accountable to taxpayers?

Texas should fully fund public schools traditional and charter FIRST. ESA programs should not reduce public school funding and must be strictly accountable to taxpayers. In my view, ESA funds should only cover homeschool curricula, online programs, and a portion of testing fees. They should not pay for private school tuition or therapies/services for students with disabilities, as those services should be handled through insurance or public school programs. Any ESA spending must be transparent, audited annually, and limited to prevent misuse of taxpayer dollars.

4. Teacher Recruitment and Retention:

Under HB 2, passed in 2025, all educators in core content courses (math, English, science, and social studies) must be certified by 2030. While this is a good start, more can and should be done to ensure high-quality teachers continue to enter the classroom. What are your suggestions to improve the quality of the new teacher pipeline?

The 2030 deadline for core course teacher certification is too long. Our students and parents need effective, certified teachers now. I support creating an accelerated but rigorous certification pathway that quickly prepares new teachers without sacrificing quality. This program would include intensive coursework in pedagogy and subject mastery, classroom-based mentorship and coaching with experienced teachers, ongoing professional development, and accountability measures to ensure high standards are met from day one. By implementing this approach, Texas can get high quality teachers into classrooms sooner while ensuring student success and teacher effectiveness.

5. Educator Pay and Benefits:

The 89th Legislature passed legislation creating a new mechanism to provide only classroom teachers with tiered raises based on early years of service and their district’s student enrollment. While the raises were significant, they did not apply to all campus educators, and the program created a significant negative funding stream at the district level due to unfunded increased costs for non-salary compensation tied to payroll, such as TRS retirement contributions. Do you support a state-funded across-the-board pay raise for all Texas educators? How would you ensure that compensation keeps pace with inflation and remains competitive with other professions?

Yes, I support a state-funded, across-the-board pay raise for all Texas educators, not just classroom teachers. Every educator from counselors to librarians to support staff plays a critical role in student success and should be compensated fairly. To ensure pay keeps pace with inflation and remains competitive, I would advocate for a formula based approach tied to cost of living adjustments, average state salary trends, and comparisons with similar professions, and include full funding for associated benefits like TRS contributions so districts are not burdened with unfunded costs. Investing in educators is essential to retaining talent and improving student outcomes.

6. Educator Health Care:

The high cost of health insurance for active and retired educators continues to reduce take-home pay, with educators shouldering the vast majority of their ever-increasing heath care costs. How would you address the affordability and sustainability of educator health care, particularly the TRS-ActiveCare and TRS-Care programs?

I support universal healthcare for all Texans, including public employees, educators, and retirees. Health care is a basic right, and no Texan should have to choose between financial stability and access to quality care. For educators, this means fully state funded health insurance that eliminates or strongly minimizes premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs. At the state level, I would pursue legislation to create a sustainable universal healthcare system, funded through fair taxation and budget prioritization, that ensures every Texan has access to high quality care, supports public servants, and strengthens our communities.

7. Retirement Security:

Do you believe the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) should remain a defined-benefit pension plan for all current and future members? If not, what is your plan to provide a secure retirement for Texas educators, particularly considering that state law has been set up such that most districts do not participate in Social Security?

Yes, the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) should remain a defined-benefit pension plan for current and future members. TRS provides retirement security for educators, many of whom do not participate in Social Security, and ensures predictable, stable income after a career in public service. To maintain its solvency and effectiveness, I support full state funding, regular actuarial reviews, and reforms that strengthen TRS without reducing benefits. Protecting TRS is essential to recruiting and retaining high quality teachers who can dedicate their careers to educating Texas students.

8. Accountability and Assessment Reform:

The Legislature has passed a new “through-year” multi-test model under HB 8. What role should standardized testing play in evaluating students, teachers, and schools? Should test results continue to determine A–F accountability ratings or teacher pay?

Standardized testing should be just one of many tools to evaluate students, teachers, and schools. It is unfair and ineffective to tie teacher pay or school ratings to tests when teachers are required to teach state-mandated TEKS materials, not design the curriculum themselves. Even more concerning, these high stakes decisions are often made by legislators in Austin who haven’t had children in school for decades, far removed from the realities of classrooms. True accountability should include student growth, classroom performance, engagement, and other meaningful measures, creating a system that supports teachers, empowers students, and reflects the real work happening in our schools. As a parent, not just as a legislator. I’m going to ensure that I’m bringing firsthand experience to the Capitol. As my children are still in elementary and middle school. So I get to see the challenges every day.

9. Parental Rights and Community Voice:

Recent legislative debates have focused on “parental rights” in education. In your view, what is the appropriate balance between accommodating the often conflicting wishes of individual parents while maintaining policies that reflect the broader community’s educational priorities and still providing consistency and an appropriate level of professional deference to educators?

As a parent, I believe local school leaders and educators should have primary authority over curriculum, classroom policies, and campus rules, while parents play a supportive but limited role in their child’s education. Teachers are already overworked and underpaid and should not be burdened with trying to manage conflicting parental demands. At the same time, schools should maintain strong communication with parents to foster student success, while holding parents accountable for their child’s behavior and engagement. This approach ensures consistency, high-quality education, and a healthy partnership between schools and families.

10. School Safety:

HB 3 (2023) imposed new school safety requirements but did not fully fund them. Although the 89th Legislature increased the School Safety Allotment, many districts continue to face substantial unfunded staffing and facility costs associated with school safety laws. How would you make schools safer and ensure the state provides adequate funding to meet safety mandates?

School safety must be a top priority, and the state must fully fund the safety mandates it imposes so districts aren’t left to cover the costs out of limited operating budgets. Districts should provide regular reports demonstrating that safety measures are implemented effectively and that crime and incidents on campuses are decreasing. This approach ensures accountability, transparency, and results, while giving local schools the flexibility to address their unique safety needs. While HB 3 set new safety standards including armed security, updated emergency preparedness plans, mental health training, and threat response systems many districts still lack the funding and personnel needed to comply and protect students and staff effectively.

In House District 139 the Houston area, there has been a rise in school threats, weapons on campuses, and serious safety concerns, prompting HISD and AISD to increase security measures such as portable weapons detection systems and boosted law enforcement presence at high schools.  Recent targeted threats at schools like DeBakey High School have required increased police patrols and safety responses.  Episodes involving weapons at other nearby campuses such as guns found at high schools in the region underscore the importance of comprehensive safety measures. 

To make schools safer and ensure adequate funding:

The state must fully fund all components of school safety mandates, including staffing (security officers, counselors, nurses), training, and infrastructure upgrades.

Funding formulas should be structured so districts can use safety dollars where they are most needed, including counselors and mental health professionals as well as physical security.

Stronger partnerships with law enforcement, mental health providers, and community organizations should be supported to build safer school climates and prevent violence before it occurs.

The state should consider evidence based prevention strategies (such as threat assessment teams and mental health services) alongside physical security measures to keep students safe without making schools feel like prisons.

By investing appropriately and giving districts the flexibility to address the safety issues unique to their campuses, Texas can create safer learning environments for all students.

11. Curriculum and Local Control:

What do you believe is the proper role of the State Board of Education, the Texas Education Agency, and local school districts in setting curriculum standards and selecting instructional materials?

The State Board of Education (SBOE) should set broad, clear academic standards to ensure all Texas students receive a high-quality education. 

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) should provide oversight, guidance, and support to ensure districts meet those standards and have access to effective resources. 

Local school districts should have the flexibility to select instructional materials and tailor curriculum to meet the unique needs of their students while adhering to state standards. This balance ensures state accountability, local innovation, and student success.

12. Educator Rights and Professional Associations:

State law allows educators and other public employees to voluntarily join professional associations such as ATPE and have membership dues deducted from their paychecks at no cost to taxpayers. Do you support or oppose allowing public employees to continue exercising this right? Why or why not?

I support allowing public employees to voluntarily join professional associations like ATPE and have membership dues deducted from their paychecks. These associations provide valuable professional development, advocacy, and support for educators and other public employees. As long as participation is voluntary and at no cost to taxpayers, employees should be able to access these resources to improve their skills and strengthen public education.